Italian financial journalist Marco Bellinazzo explains why Juventus do not risk being relegated although this scandal is ‘worst than Calciopoli.’
The Bianconeri have been docked 15 points due to financial irregularities, but this may be only the tip of the iceberg as there is a new trial the Bianconeri could face in the coming months, regarding the hidden salaries they allegedly paid due their players during the peak of the COVID pandemic in 2020.
Juventus fans fear the team will face an even higher penalty during the season, which could see them relegated to Serie B as it happened in 2006 after the famous match-fixing scandal infamously known as Calciopoli.
Bellinazzo admits that the ‘salaries trial’ could have “bigger consequences” for the Serie A giants.
“There are private documents sized that appear to prove agreement with their footballers which were not registered within the FIGC, breaching the federal rules,” Bellinazzo, one of Italy’s most popular financial journalists working for Il Sole 24 Ore, told TMW.
“Juventus deny any wrongdoing, while the Turin Prosecutor, Consob and the Sporting Prosecutor Juventus directors didn’t behave correctly. There could be consequences for the club, such as fines and significant penalties for footballers who signed the agreements with the club.
“This could be even worst than Calciopoli in terms of image for Italian football. A 15-point penalty for Juventus, one of the most important Serie A clubs, is making headlines abroad; everyone can see that. Something like this won’t allow Serie A to reach the Premier League, all the contrary.”
So, could Juventus be relegated again?
“It’s one of the options, but to get there, false accounting must be proved along with the fact that Juventus didn’t have the financial requirements they claimed. This is very difficult to prove because during the last three years, they also had a cash injection of €700, so I would rule out this sort of sanctions. Nevertheless, we don’t know the content of all the 14.000 pages collected by the Turin Prosecutor which will be revealed during the preliminary hearing on March 27.”
Juventus picked up a 3-3 draw against Atalanta on Sunday in their first match since their 15-point deduction and are now 14 points below a Champions League placement.